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By Billie Melissa
Contributing Entertainment Writer
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James Cameron's epic "Avatar" franchise continues this month with "Avatar: Fire and Ash", the third instalment in the series, which follows Jake and Neytiri's family as they grieve the death of Neteyam.
Amidst their grief, they encounter a new, aggressive Na'vi tribe, led by a fiery leader, and the conflict on Pandora escalates as a new moral focus emerges.
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" hits theaters on December 19, and the review embargo has finally lifted, which means the first look at audiences' thoughts and reactions is flooding social media.
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'Avatar: Fire and Ash' Review Roundup
As expected, many of the early reviews are positive. At the time of publication, the Rotten Tomatoes score sits at a Fresh rating of 69%.
Screen International's Tim Grierson writes that the film is "visually extraordinary" and calls "Avatar: Fire and Ash" "a thoroughly immersive experience".
Max Scoville at IGN Movies notes that "Avatar: Fire and Ash" "isn't the technical leap forward that its predecessor was, but notes that "what it lacks in novelty, it more than makes up for with refinement on every level."
Joining Scoville in the positive category is Matt Singer at ScreenCrush, who goes as far as saying that this film "puts every other large-scale blockbuster of 2025 to shame."
David Rooney at The Hollywood Reporter was less enthusiastic.
Rooney writes that the film is "easily the most repetitious entry in the big-screen series, with a been-there, bought-the-T-shirt fatigue that's hard to ignore."
Rooney's echoed by The Times (UK)'s Kevin Maher, who says, "It's difficult to convey just how little dramatic urgency there is in a film that's effectively a computer-generated diorama..."
So, while the majority seem to be rating the film with a Fresh score, it's evident that the film's battling against criticism that suggests the "Avatar" franchise is running out of steam.
Is 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' as Good as the First Films?
While "Avatar: Fire and Ash" currently has a fresh rating from critics, its rating has taken a dip from the first two, which secured Certified Fresh ratings of 81% for "Avatar" and 76% for "Avatar: The Way of Water".
However, the film has not yet been given an audience rating.
"Avatar" was popular among audiences, who rated it 82%, and audiences liked "Avatar: The Way of Water" even more, rating it 92%.
So, until the film hits theaters, it's hard to know whether it's as popular as its predecessors.
'Avatar: Fire and Ash' Release Date
Avatar: Fire and Ash will be available exclusively in theaters from December 19, 2025.
'Avatar: Fire and Ash' – How to Watch
Avatar: Fire and Ash will first screen in theaters from December 19. A streaming or digital release for the film is yet to be confirmed, and there is no planned announcement yet for when that will be.
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